C.C. Cassell, PsyD.
Licensed Psychologist California #PSY28868 | Nevada #PY0894 | Missouri #2016001951 | Utah #13025497-2501
Association of State & Provincial Psychology Boards E. Passport #5085
APIT authority to practice telepsychology in AL, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA & WV
I believe that we were created for connection and that one of the greatest gifts one can receive is to be truly understood.
So many of us have been conditioned to equate strength with a lack of emotional vulnerability. Consider, for instance, how many times you may have heard someone referred to as “strong” because they “held it together” and were not seen crying after a loss. This “strength” has helped many of us survive in a lot of ways, but this same survival instinct can keep us trapped. Trapped in our pain, suffering in silence. Trapped surviving life, rather than truly fully living. If you are ready to break this cycle and begin the pursuit of a full, healthy, balanced life-- I would love to speak with you.
Effective therapy is rooted in relationship. I work to create collaborative, authentic, and trusting professional relationships with clients founded in warmth, genuineness, and empathy. While therapy requires that we take an honest look at the parts of ourselves that we prefer to ignore, it also provides us with the opportunity to discover, own, and build our strengths. Rather than labeling traits or habits as good or bad, I find it useful to explore and understand the context in which certain traits and habits are adaptive and healthy versus harmful with the goal of helping you break unhealthy cycles you find yourself stuck in. I ultimately believe that optimal wellness lingers in the balance between seeking the courage required to confront the areas of our lives and aspects of ourselves that call for change and gathering the wisdom and resilience necessary to accept the aspects of our existence and past experiences that cannot be altered.
I specialize in working with survivors of trauma and have a passion for supporting others in healing professions including first responders, medical staff, essential workers, and other mental health professionals. I also immensely enjoy connecting with individuals who are interested in engaging in therapy for interpersonal growth, self-exploration, relational healing, grief processing, spirituality concerns, and self-care.
I actually decided to become a psychologist at age 10, after an impromptu “what do you want to be when you grow up” conversation. This decision led me to, Southeast Missouri State University where I earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in psychology and criminal justice before completing a master’s degree in community counseling in 2008. I then relocated to Atlanta, GA where I earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. I completed an APA accredited pre-doctoral internship at Texas Woman’s University Counseling Center, a post-doctoral fellowship at Sheppard Pratt Hospital’s Trauma Disorders Program, and a clinical scholar post-doc with the University of California San Francisco/ San Francisco General Hospital’s, Trauma Recovery Center.
The most fortunate part of my journey to become a psychologist has been the self-growth I’ve experienced through connection with the many brave and beautiful souls who have entrusted me as their therapist. I highly respect and am deeply inspired by the courage that it takes to fully engage in and commit to the vulnerability that therapy requires. I am committed to lifelong learning and growth and realize that there are no greater lessons to be learned than those we learn through our connection with others.